FAISALABAD, Feb 23: The police have sought help from a politician for the recovery of a kidnapped man. Sources said that every effort made by the police to trace Zahid Saleem, who was abducted to force his family members to pardon murder case convict Saqib alias Saqi, had proved futile so far. Although over a dozen relatives of the convict have been rounded up, no headway in the recovery of the abductee could be made.

They said the police involved the politician, who was responsible for district council affairs in his previous tenure, and asked him to force the convict family for the release of abductee.

For this purpose, the politician had arranged a number of meetings during the last three days with the family members of convict Saqi and the abductee.

The Saqi family is exerting pressure on relatives of the abductee that they should first give written assurance of forgiveness. While the victim’s family members are focusing on the release of Zahid Saleem.

It may be mentioned that the Punjab chief minister and governor as well as the prime minister had also issued instructions to the police for the early release of the abductee.

Unidentified men had abducted Zahid Saleem in August 2005, and started piling pressure on victim’s family to pardon Saqib, facing capital punishment for killing Muhammad Riaz, the uncle of Zahid in 1989.

Convict Saqi is awaiting his death warrants in the local district jail.

FREED: Armed villagers attacked a police party, snatched cash and valuables from them and got an arrested accused freed in Lundianwala on Thursday.